Effect of buckwheat on lipid metabolism in high-fat diet-fed rats

The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of buckwheat (BW) on lipid metabolism in high-fat diet-fed rats. Fifty male rats were randomly divided into the following groups: control diet, high-fat diet (HFD), low-dose BW (1 g/kg·d), medium dose BW (5 g/kg·d), and high dose BW (10 g/kg·d). The rats were fed once a day for 30 days. Blood samples were subsequently collected from the posterior abdominal aorta, and the liver, in addition, perirenal fat, and epididymal fat were collected. The levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the serum and liver were measured, and pathological sections of the liver tissues were observed. The results showed that compared to the HFD group, the weight and food intake of all the BW groups were significantly lower, the weights and indexes of the liver and fat tissues were also significantly reduced, the concentration of TC, TG, and LDL-C in the serum and liver were decreased, and the concentration of HDL-C was increased. Meanwhile, the liver structure observed under the light microscope showed that hepatic steatosis in all BW groups was alleviated, with the most significant effect observed in the high-dose BW group. These results demonstrate that a BW intervention on a HFD can have a hypolipidemic effect, improve liver lipid metabolism, protect the liver, and reduce the incidence of related diseases. ©, 2015, South China University of Technology. All right reserved.